Ski and method of making the same



p 1952 A. G. STRAND 2,611,623 SKI AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 24, 1947 s Sheet s-Sheet 1 E, 4 A QB INVENTOR.

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p 1952 A. e. STRAND SKI AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1947 MEN 6 m LIL N 1 1 m M W N a R W AV m r NTrv w q V n Sept. 23, 1952 A. e. STRAND SKI AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 24, 1947 0 D mu An drew 6 IH l l I I l l l I I I l l I l l l ll l l lHH.HI I HI I HHHHH "l l l l lJui. I I I'll. av .1 l l lln l l l l l l A I I I I I I l I I l I I l I I l l I l l l l l ll lllllllll|||lllllllllllIllllillllIIII I I I I I l i l Il I I I I I I I I I l l ll w l I l l l I l II I l l Illl||l|| l I 1 1 l1 6 Z G c u 1 AW 1 v 1 I I v 1 1 1 1 Patented Sept. 23, 1952 SKI AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Andrew G. Strand, Philadelphia, Pa.; Elsie My Strand, administratrix of said Andrew G.

Strand, deceased, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Elsie M. Strand, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application February 24, 1947, Serial No. 730,266

. 1 Claim. (01. 280-1113) 1 This invention relates to skis and methods making the same. It has been proposed to utilize for the construction of skis laminated wood and it has been proposed to cause the laminations to extend on the bias with respect to the ski length to afford additional strength. In accordance with the present invention not only are the wooden laminations so arranged as to stagger joints but by proper chamfering the joints are made very strong while nevertheless the proper flexibility for a satisfactory skiis secured.

The invention also relates to the method of manufacturing the improved ski involving the particular formations of the ski plates or plies process of the formation of an intermediate ply;

Figure 3 is a. perspective diagram illustrating the third gluing and cutting operations in the process of the formation of an intermediate ply;

Figure 4 is a perspective diagram illustrating anfint'ermediate ply as is produced by the cutting operation shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a ski formed in accordance with the invention and embodying the novel construction;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the same;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view partially in section illustrating the assembly of intermediate plies or plates inthe formation of a ski;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but showing the assembly of the intermediate plies with top and bottom plies;

Figure 9 is-a transverse section of the improved ski taken on the plane indicated at 9-9 in Figure 6;

Figure 10 isv asimilar section taken on the plane indicated at Ill-l0 in Figure 6;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 8 but illustrating an assembly of plies including only one intermediate ply;

Figure 12 is a sectional view similar to Figure 9 of a ski having only one intermediate ply; and

2 Figure 13 is a sectional view similar to Figure 10 of a ski having one intermediate ply.

Of major significance in the present invention is the mode of formation of I an intermediate ply or plies and accordingly there will firstbe described in detail how an intermediate ply is produced, particular reference being made to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive. The starting point in the formation of an intermediate ply is .the preparation of a block by the lamination surface to surface of thin boards or plies 2 of a suitable wood such as hickory. These plies. are glued together as indicated in Figure 1. It will 'be understood that, for simplicity of showing, Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, are diagrammatic only and are not dimensionally accurate since the length of the block is of the order of the length of the finished ski and the other dimensions are such, as Will become apparent hereafter, as" will give intermediate plates or plies corresponding in width to the width of the ski to be formed. The length of a mans ski may, for example be about six feet while the width may range from about 3% inches to 3% inches. Figures 1 to 4, inelusive, are considerably 'foresho rtene'd to make it easier to follow the cuts and arrangements of parts which are involved.

The rectangular block consisting of glued plies 2 is sawed diagonally as indicated at 4 along a plane extending parallel to the "vertical edges in that figure and running from the vertical edge at one side and end of a block to the vertical edge at the other end and the other side thereof. The result of this cut is to produce two blocks A and B of similar shape as indicated.

The next step'consists of placingthe block B to the right of block A and securing by glue the face C to the face D. The result is the production of the block illustrated in FigureZ, the glued surfaces of the blocks A and B being indicated by the heavy line C, D in that figure. As will be evident, the resulting block is now trapezoidal rather than rectangular and the longitudinal side edges as shown extend diagonally across the original plies 2. The angles involved areconsiderably exaggerated and actually the' dep-artures of the'laminations from the side surfaces of the new trapezoidal block are of the order of inch per foot.

The block illustrated in Figure 2 is now sawed through on a plane passing through thelongitudinal edges E and F and intersecting the ends along the lines indicated at G. The last out results in the formation of a new pair of blocks each of triangular cross section, the lower right hand block of Figure 2 being designated H and the upper left hand block being designated I.

These blocks H and I are then rearranged with the block I to the right of the block H, the blocks being glued together as illustrated in Figure 3 so that the vertical edge J is brought into coincidence with the vertical edge K. A new trapezoidal block is thus produced which is sawed to give intermediate plies. The sawing takes place along planes indicated at L, M, N parallel to the upper left hand surface of the block as illustrated in Figure 3. The various edges of the out are shown in Figure 4 at L, M and N and the resultr The only exception to the uniform thickness of 4 is indicated at S with the turned toe and heel wedges at W and X shaped by the application of pressure in conventional fashion.

The bottom ply and the intermediate plies are of uniform thickness throughout the former, for example being about /8 inch thick, and the latter about t; inch thick. The variations of thickness "through the length of the ski are obtained by the shaping of the top plate or ply, which at the thin nest portions thereof may be about 1 6 inch thick.

the bottom'ply is the groove 2| of conventional type which may be 1 6 or of an inch deep.

ing ply is designated at P. As will now be clear,

the ply P so as to appear as indicated at 8 at the longitudinal edges of the ply and as indicated at H! at the transverse edges. It will be noted that the method of formation which has been described provides chamfering as indicated at It! so that the glued surfaces between the laminations do not extend perpendicularly with respect to the top and bottom surfaces of the ply or plate P. The result of this construction is an extremely strong though flexible plate or ply not liable to be broken by blows applied in a direction normal to the fiat upper and lower ply surfaces.

Assuming first that a pair of intermediate plies or plates are to be used in the ski a pair of plies P indicated at 12 and I 4 are secured surface to surface by glue but so arranged that as viewed from the top the laminations run in opposite di- .agonal directions so that the joints intersect as indicated in Figure 7. It will be noted that the chamfering in such case also occurs oppositely in the two plies giving rise to a condition of maximum strength.

Below the plates 12 and Hi there is located the bottom plate of-the ski indicated at 16. vThis plate is also laminated with the laminations chamfered as illustrated in Figure 8. The production of this plate is relatively simple, however, and is not illustrated diagrammatically since, as will be obvious, it will result merely from proper diagonal cutting of a laminated block such as illustrated in Figure l for the formation of the intermediate plies. The laminations of this bottom plate I 5 run parallel to the edges of the plate and accordingly in crossing relationship with the diagonal laminations of the intermediate ply I4 to which it is glued.

The top plate i8 is also of laminated structure and, as indicated most clearly in Figure 8, consists of a number of strips of keystone cross section with their wider faces alternatively at top and bottom, these strips extending parallel to the length of the assembled structure. It will be evident that here again the lines of separation of the laminations at the glued surface between the plate 18 and the plate l2 run in intersecting directions so as also to contribute to the strength of the assembly.

The resulting glued assembly of Figure 8 is then shaped to form the ski. The external shape of the ski is conventional and will be evident from Figures 5 and 6 and the sections illustrated in Figures 9 and 10. If a ridge top ski is desired proper top surface shaping is provided as indicated at 20, the ridges U and V extending from the flat top portion indicated at T. The ski as a whole Conventional camber is imparted to the ski by the application of heat and pressure in usual fashion. The various figures given above are, of course, subject to considerable variation as are the dimensions of the various laminations, these being dependent solely on the choice of the maker.

Figures ll, 12 and 13 illustrate cross sections of the assembly from which the ski is formed and of the resulting ski when only a single intermediate ply 22 is provided with bottom and top plies 24 and 26, respectively. A ridge may be provided as indicated at 28 and one or more conventional bottom grooves as indicated at 30. Whether two intermediate plies or only one are used, nevertheless the construction is such that the laminations of the adjacent plies run in intersecting fashion and are additionally chamfered in such a way that extreme resistance to breakage along the lengthwise extending joints is oifered.

It will be evident that variations may be made in details ofthe ski and the method without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following. 7 I i I claim:

A ski comprising a base plate comprising laminations of wood, the grain of the wood of each of said laminations extending parallel to the mating edges of the laminations, the laminations extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ski and oblique to the plane of the bottom of the base plate, an intermediate ply comprising laminations of wood, the grain of the wood of the laminations of said intermediate ply extending parallel to the mating edges of the laminations of said ply and the mating'edgesof the laminations extending in oblique relation with the plane of the top of the ply formed thereby'and extending diagonally of the length of the ski, and a top plate comprising laminations extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ski and which are keystone-shaped in cross-section and positioned alternately with the wider faces at the top and bottom of the top plate;

ANDREW G. STRAND.

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Jan. 25, 1941 

